Page 26 of Pucking Only
I immediately spot Carson, his tall frame leaning casually against the bar. He's surrounded by a few of his teammates as well as several women. When he catches sight of me, a weird expression crosses his face. He looks almost… sad. Before I can try to interpret what that could possibly mean, he scowls, looks away, and chugs the bottle of beer he’s holding.
Shaking my head, I turn my gaze away from him as well, not noticing until it’s too late that Zander is leading me over toward Carson. That is the part of the bar where most of his teammates are hanging out. Wilder, Cruz, and Jayce are among the group and they wave us over. Carson gives Zander a chin jerk greeting, then looks away from us and gives his attention to a blonde with big boobs in a tiny crop top.
“Hey you two,” Cruz grins as Zander and I draw near. “You’re looking awfully cozy together.”
Zander gives Cruz a light shove and I can see pink tinging the top of his cheeks.
“I’m just helping the lady out,” Zander insists, shooting me a grin.
“You’re doing more than helping me,” I smirk, touching his arm and giving him an appreciative smile. “I would be absolutely lost if it weren’t for you. You are the Alfred to my Batman.”
“Oooph, Alfred?” Wilder laughs. “When was Alfred ever sexy?”
“Hey, Michael Caine had a certain charm,” Zander defends while smiling down at me.
“What about Jeremy Irons?” Jayce chimes in. “The glasses? The vest? Hot.”
I gaze at all these big, muscled men with a baffled grin. Are we seriously having a debate about who the hottest Alfred is?
“You gotta go with Andy Serkis,” Cruz argues. “Sexiest Alfred in arguably the best Batman movie.”
“Woah, woah, woah!” Wilder, Jayce, and Zander all object at once, waving their hands and shaking their heads.
“Do not disrespectThe Dark Knightlike that,” Jayce declares. “Christian Bale and Heath Ledger cannot be outdone.”
I can’t help myself and let out a loud laugh.
“Holy shit!” I exclaim. “Are you all nerds?”
All four turn to look at me with varying expressions of amusement.
“None of us are as nerdy as Zander,” Wilder explains, wrapping his arm around Zander’s shoulder. “But who can resist the occasional cinematic mastery of a superhero movie?”
“Especially Batman,” Cruz specifies.
“Okay, I think I’ve had enough of this nerd talk,” Jayce declares, turning to the bar. “Let’s get shots. Then I’m going to find a girl who wants to put my dick in her mouth.”
“Jesus Christ, Jayce,” Zander groans, wincing with embarrassment as he glances my way. “Sorry about him.”
I wave my hand, dismissing his concerns. “Don’t worry about it. I’ve heard worse, trust me. I’m a female gamer. Now line up those shots!”
Jayce orders five tequila shots and we all throw them back. I slam the shot glass on the bartop and order another round.
As I start to hand out the shots, I meet eyes with Carson. He’s just a few stools down from us. His brow furrows and he scowls, but we continue to gaze at each other for another second. Then, a beautiful woman with long black hair wearing a skin-tight black dress moves up next to him. She puts her lips next to his ear and whispers something to him as she trails her fingers down his torso, feeling his abs through his shirt. Carson smirks and gives her his attention, ignoring me again. I don’t even have a clue where the blond went that he was talking to when I came in.
Gritting my teeth, I tear my eyes away from him and focus my attention back on Zander and the other guys.
“I knew I liked you,” Wilder declares when I hand him his shot.
“What’s not to like?” I tease, giving him a sassy wink beforeturning back to Zander. We clink shot glasses, then we drink them in one gulp. He grins down at me and I giggle. As we lean against the bar, we face each other and separate ourselves a bit from the rest of the guys who are starting to become more interested in the scantily-clad women surrounding us.
"So," I say, leaning in a little closer, "tell me more about that power play strategy we talked about. I'm curious how you'd set it up in real life."
Zander's eyes light up as he starts explaining. His enthusiasm draws me in. I laugh at his jokes, touch his arm occasionally, and really get my flirt on. It isn’t hard, especially because of how Zander responds. He gives me a wide smile and his gaze lingers on me.
He finishes his beer and says, “I need to hit the head. You good?”
“Totally fine,” I tell him with a grin.